Lumbar Back Surgery

Prevention of lumbar spine injury

Just as with so many bad choices or habits that we settle into in our daily routines, it is easy to damage spinal health simply by continuing to improperly use and engage the lower spine in various exercise and or work related tasks. Sadly, many pay for these mistakes for years with agonizing and ongoing pain and discomfort as well as the cost of chiropractic care or even surgery.
Think of the spine as you would an invaluable tool. A very important tool that you simply could not do without but one that happens to be quite delicate and requires understanding and care when being used. This could be a chainsaw for one or another an expensive work computer or smart phone. When we have invested in expensive tools we learn quite quickly what we can and cannot do with them and would not dream of abusing these instruments that are so vital to our professions or just day to day lives. The spine, while it is infinitely more important, is simply "out of sight - out of mind" and taken for granted for most of us and so it is easier to overlook or injure because of sheer neglect.

The back part of the spine contains the joints called the facets. These facets are the governors of spinal motion. They will allow bending forward, backward and side to side but resist rotation. They also act as door stops to prevent one vertebra from sliding forward on the one below (degenerative spondylolisthesis).

The transverse processes stick out from the sides of the vertebrae and are essentially lever arms that muscles attach to. These levers allow smaller muscles to move the vertebral segments more easily. The spinous processes which project out the back of the vertebra are also lever arms. Strong ligaments attach that prevent the spine from bending too far forward and when bending backwards, these processes abut, preventing too much backwards motion.